3 min read
The Cigarette and the Trucker: Long-Haul Driving and Nicotine Dependence
Long-haul truckers smoke at elevated rates. The job—sedentary, solitary, and demanding of alertness for hours on end—is a perfect storm for nicotine use. The trucker's cigarette is a tool for staying awake and a companion in isolation.
The trucker drives for eleven hours, alone in the cab, fighting fatigue. Nicotine is a potent wakefulness-promoting agent. **The cigarette is not just a habit—it's a tool for doing the job. The trucker who smokes is using nicotine pharmacologically: to stay alert, to manage the monotony, to survive the demands of the road. Addressing smoking in this population requires addressing the conditions that make nicotine functional.**
